Joshua nuttall



Patented Jan. 4,1881.

7 v 0 m M an ma. m m f NQ W (No Model.)

. J. NUTTALL Machine for Reducing and Straightening Tubes. No. 236,245.

,UNITE -TATES ATENT Gratos,

JOSHUA NUTTALL, OF ALLEGHEN'Y, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR To HIMSELF r' AND JOSHUARHODES, OF SAME PLACE. i

FMACHINE FOR REDUCING AND STRAIGHTENING TUBES-` y, lSJPIECIFIC'A'lvION' forming party of Letters .Patent No. 236,245, `dated January 4, 1.88.1.

- Applicationn1dJu1y24,isco. (Nmoaei.)

Toall whom it may concern:

Be it `known that-I, JOSHUA NUcr'rALL, of Allegheny city, county of Allegheny, State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discoveredl a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Rounding, Straightening, and Sizing Tubes' and Rods and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, concise, and exact de- Scription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making apart of this specification, in which-like letters indicating like parts-'- Figure l showsa side elevation of my improved 'mach'i'ne for rounding, straightening, and vsizing tubes, 85e. Fig. 2 isa top plan view of the same, the driving-shafts and gearing being broken away. f Fig. 3 shows an end elevation", and Fig. tis a detached view, of one pair of the rolls, and illustrative of the circumferential bearing taken by the rolls upon the tube, pipe, or rod;

My invention relates to a machine for rounding, straightening, and sizing tubes, rods, and similar articles; and it' consists in the arrangement of a Series of concave-faced rollson two opposite sides of theline of feed of the article to'be Operated on, the rolls of each series being i arranged' in1 acommon frame with their axes parallel, but crossing and inclined to the line of feed at other than a right angle, andthe two opposite sets or series crossing such line in differentdirections, also, in means for mount-V iing, drivin'g, and adjusting such sets or series of rolls.

'Iiicertain branches of pipe or tube manufac-` ture-Las, for exam ple, in makin g boiler-tu besit is desirable and necessaryto round, straight' en, and'size the same'with great accuracy.

Machines of the class to vwhich my present invention relates ,havev heretofore been used successfully for rounding, straightening, and reducing' solid bars; but when used on iron pipefor tubing they have but little effect in rounding orreduc'ing the size unlessthe article is passed through the machine several' This arran gement gives the rolls a long'straight bearing onthe sides of the rod, which maybe effectual ill straightening a rod or tube; butit' pressure is applied through the rolls for the purpose of reducing the size of apipe or tubef such'pipe or tube is liable to yield or bulge out' between the lines of bearing-thus distorting the article rather than reducing and rounding? 6o it; or, if this does not Occur,'the'twisting ory torsion force exerted in such machines is liable` to rend and destroy the pipe or tube for use.

` My invention is designed and adapted not' only to straighten pipes and tubes, but also to reduce them to a` uniform size and make them round; and, while' it is especially designed for this class of work, it is also well adapted tov produce the same effects on solid metallic rods.

My improvedv machine is constructed as fol- 7o lows: 0n suitable bed-pieces A are mounted two separate roll-frames,B B', consisting of end blocks, I), and upper and lower horizontal` bars or bearngs,b. Within these frames are mounted a series of two, three, or more con# cave-'faced rolls, C U', respectively, a likennmber being in each frame. These rolls C C in' the two frames are larranged in pairs opposite' each other -andon opposite sides of the. pipe or tube D to be operated on. All the rolls in 8o one frame, as B, are arranged \viththeir axes, parallel with each other and inclinedlforward across the side of the tube or the line ofv feed, while the rolls in the other frame, B',"are also parallel vto e'ach other, but'are incli'ned backward across the side of the tube, or in a different direction from' the first set or series mentioned.v As thus arranged the lineof feed, l as represented by the tube D, Fig. 1,is across the roll-faces from side toside, instead of from v9c end to end, and the concavity of the roll-faces being adapted to the size of the tube to be Op? erated on, the rolls will take not only a long" bearing lengthwise on the pipe or t'ube,as' heretofore, but they will also 'take such bear- 95 ing 'in' a spiral direction around the pipeor tube, and thereby they will, in effect, encircle a considerable part of its circumference.v This circumferential bearing is representedl or illustrated in detached view, Fig. 4. By providing f1 oo several pairs of these rolls in immediate suc-v cession Athe tube is practicallyinclosed by them for aconsiderable length, and being subjected to their simultaneous action the tube and rolls rotating together, the tube is prevented from bulging or changing its form under compression of the rolls, and as a consequence it is reduced in size thereby, and also made round and straight. Also, all the rolls in each side heilig carried on a single frame, the two sets can be adjusted with ease and accuracy to produce any desired reduction of the tube. This adjustment is effected by moving the frames at either or both of their ends upon the bearings A, either toward or from each other, by means of bolts e passing through the ends of the frames, or by other known or suitable means. Also, to raise or lower the top bars b of the frames to adjust the roll-bearings, liners e and bolts e2 may be employed in the usual way.

l1`he roll-necks are journaled on the upper and lower bars, b b', of the frames in any suitable way; but to secure compactncss and strength I notch the upper and lower edges of these bars, as at /L h, giving them, in effect, a zigzag form, the parts on which the rolljournals are fixed being at right angles to the axes of the respective rolls.

In order to drive the rolls in unison they may be geared either above or below the rollframes. I have shown them geared above to shafts R by bevel-gearing r. The two sets or series of rolls are driven in the same direction, and their rotation causes the tube or rod I) to rotate, and the cross relationship of the opposite rolls gives the tube or rod a rapid forward feed along with its rotary movement. In order to scale the tubes or rods, and thereby give them a smooth finish, tubular guides S may be secured to the ends of the frames B B by slots and bolts s, thereby'allowing of the adjustmentof the frames as above described.

The opening S of the guides is in line of feed. so that the tube or rod passes through it, and in such passage the rolls give the projecting end ot' the tube more or less vibration, thus striking it against thc sides of S and knocking off the scale. rI`hese guides S also serve to direct the tube or rod to the proper point in the rolls as it is first fed in.

I have found it more convenient and practical to provide different sets of rolls for different grades ot' work. Such different rolls, if nearly of the same size and length, may be used in one pair of frames B B', though, if they differ considerably in these respects, I prefer to provide separate frames for the different sizes. Such frames may be adjustably secured to the bed-pieces A, or equivalent supports, in any convenient way, as by bolts and slots, or by a dovetail-slide connection.

W'ith this machine, having, as shown and described, a plurality or series of rolls arranged in immediate succession on two opposite sides ot' the tube or line of feed, I am enabled with a single pass of a pipe or vtube to accomplish better results with less expense and in less time than can be secured by a number of passes on machines of this class heretofore used; and not only is this advantage secured on pipes and tubes, but also my machine is well adapted for reducing, rounding, and straightening solid rods of iron or steel.

I am aware that two sets or pairs of crossing rolls have been arranged in line with a common line` of feed, as described and shown in English Patent No. 1,510 of 1857, to W. Hale; but such separate sets or pairs have been mounted in separate frames, and therefore cannot be adjusted with the facility and accuracy which are secured by my improvement. It isimportant, in order to secure the best results, especially upon light pipe, thatthe sets of rolls should be in close succession, in order to prevent bending or distortion ofthe pipe between different sets of rolls caused by its rapid revolution and tendency to vibration. Also, when it is desired to red ucc the tube in size,- great accuracy of adjustment ot' the successive sets of rolls is required, especially when three or more such sets are used, as shown herein. These requisites or advantages are fully secured in my improvement by mounting all the rolls on each side of the line of feed parallel, in close succession, and in a common or single frame.

In patent granted to me July l, 1879, No. 216,967, I have shown and described one set or pair ot' crossing rolls having a line of feed in a direction lengthwise with the rolls and midvav between the roll ends. Such construction and arrangement, however, does not contain my present invention for the reasons hereinbetbre set forth.

I claim herein as my invention 1. In a machine for reducing, rounding, land straightening pipes, tubes, and rods, a plurality or series of rolls arranged in close succession in a common frame on one side of the line ot' feed, said rolls having their axes parallel and all crossing the line of feed at other than a right angle, in combination with a set or series of like number ot' rolls arranged in similar succession in a common frame on the opposite side of the line ot' feed, the latter set or series also crossing the line of feed, but in a different direction from the first set or series, substantially as set forth.

2. 1n a machine for reducing, rounding, and straightening pipes, tubes, and similar articles, the combination of a series of rolls, C, arranged in a common frame, B, on one side of the line ot' feed, with a similar series of rolls, C', arranged iu a common frame, B', on the opposite side of the line of feed, and mechanism for adjusting either or both ends of such frames toward and from each other, substantially as described, whereby the two sets or series of rolls can be adjusted to produce the desired amount of reduction in one pass of the tube or rod.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOSHUA NUTTALL.

Witnesses J Aulas A. MCKEAN, O. L. PARKER.

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